Bangladesh mission in Islamabad observed Genocide Day

Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad has observed Mar 25 as the ‘Genocide Day’ in a befitting manner.

To mark the day, a discussion was organised by the High Commission at the Chancery premises.

Members of expatriate Bangladesh community, officials and staff of the High Commission participated in the programme.

One minute silence was observed to show respect to the memories of the martyrs of the War of Independence in 1971, particularly the victims of Mar 25, at the beginning of the event.

This was followed by reading out of the messages released on this occasion by the President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the High Commission said in a statement.

During the discussion, the speakers highlighted the massacre of thousands of innocent and unarmed Bangalees in the black night of Mar 25, 1971 by the Pakistani occupation forces.

They remarked that the barbaric act of Pakistani forces is unmatchable with any other genocide that had taken place after the Second World War.

High Commissioner Tarik Ahsan condemned the unprovoked and barbaric crackdown of occupation forces on the unarmed Bengaless that triggered the declaration of independence by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He paid rich tributes to all martyrs of the Liberation War.

He continued that, according to the definition by Genocide Convention of 1948 and by the scale of massacre, the killings constituted the crime of genocide.

He remarked that, on this day, Bengalees would recall their sacrifice that brought about the independence and it is the duty of Bangladesh to create awareness in the international community so that such genocide is never repeated anywhere else in the world again.

After the discussion, special prayers were held for the salvation and eternal peace of the souls of the martyrs of the War of Liberation.

Later, a documentary on the genocide in 1971 was screened.

bdnews24.com India Correspondent adds: The Genocide Day was also observed in Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and in the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and Assistant High Commission in Agartala.

“The dark night of March 25 had witnessed the highest number of deaths of civilians in one night at the hand of a ruthless military (Pakistan),” said Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali in a speech highlighting the significance and background of the day. 

“Bangladesh has taken an appropriate move in declaring it as Genocide Day. The UN now should come forward to make it an International Genocide Day like it did in case of International Mother Language Day that is observed on February 21,” he said.

A panel discussion underlining the he need for national and international campaign for making March 25 as the genocide day was also held to mark the day, followed by screening of a documentary on the atrocities the Pakistan army had committed during Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

Moderated by Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, deputy high commissioner, the discussion was participated by two senior Indian journalists Saumya Bandyopadhyay and Pallab Bhattacharya.

The speakers underlined the need for putting on trial the Pakistani military commanders who had made the blueprint and executed one of world history worst genocide during the nine-month war that saw the deaths of three million unarmed civilians.

The journalists hailed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina bold move to put the local collaborators of Pakistani army on trial for committing crimes against humanity.

In Kolkata's Bangladesh Deputy High Commission and Agartala's assistant high commission, speakers recalled the day.